Ideas for your budget

With a bit of careful planning, a credit card can help you manage your cash flow and help you keep to your budget.

Credit cards are a convenient and useful way to purchase the items you need now and pay for them when the money comes in. By keeping track of your spending and staying in control of your repayments, you’ll always get the most from your card.

Set a budget

A good way to manage your repayments is to create a budget. It lets you see exactly where your money goes each week, what you have left for savings and how much you need to allocate to repay your debts. It can also minimise the tendency to overspend each month because you can see how much money you have to play with.

If you’re looking for help setting and sticking to a budget, the Commonwealth Bank’s Budget Planner can help you meet your financial goals. The Australian Government’s Understanding Money website is another good place for budgeting advice.

Keep track of your spending

You can see your card transactions in real time 24/7, 365 days a year1 in NetBank, so you can always know where you stand. You can also access more information about where you’ve used your card using NetBank’s one click Google search.

Use the 55-day interest-free period

Using your credit card instead of EFTPOS or cash for day-to-day purchases means you don’t have to worry about excess transaction fees. If you have an Awards credit card, you can also earn Awards points faster as well. Please note that the interest free period (up to 55 days) on purchases and most bill payments does not apply to any purchases while a balance transfer remains outstanding.

As long as you pay off your total credit card balance at the end of each month, you will avoid paying any interest on your purchases. If you’re registered for NetBank and you have a linked transaction account, you can organise to automatically pay off your balance each month using AutoPay.

Pay your bills on time

If you don’t always remember to pay your bills on time, you can automate your bill payments using your Commonwealth Bank credit card. You won't need to worry about missing a due date or paying late fees. You can set up automated payments for a variable amount such as a phone bill, or a set amount such as an insurance premium.

To use BPAY within NetBank:

Log on to NetBank, or call telephone banking

Go to the ‘Bills’ tab and select ‘pay bill”

Select the account you want to make the payment from and the amount you’d like to pay

Select the payment date

Enter the biller code and customer reference number shown on your bill.